HEARING TIPS

Rechargeable Hearing Aids, do They Actually Work?

Rechargeable hearing aids are designed so that you’ll need to stress less about running low on batteries, but the technology might also make you a little concerned when you depend on your devices to hear. Do rechargeable hearing aids work, and do they work as well as marketed?

The worry is understandable and so are the question you might have. A hearing aid is often as necessary for the enjoyment of a television show or a movie as it is for a trip to the supermarket or any other part of everyday life. When a piece of technology impacts so many facets of your life, it’s important that it work correctly and reliably.

How Do I Know What Type of Battery I Have?

By default, most modern-day hearing aids come with rechargeable batteries, so if you bought your hearing aids recently it’s likely that your hearing aids will have one of two battery types. Silver-zinc batteries, which have a battery door on the back of the device, are rechargeable, but the batteries may need to be changed every so often. A Lithium-ion battery, however, will not have a battery door because the batteries will last as long as the hearing aid does.

How to Care For Your Rechargeable Hearing Aid

For the most part, rechargeable hearing aids do work, and they work well. The dependability of these devices has enhanced considerably in the last several years, as battery technologies have advanced. As with any other electronic device, however, there are some easy maintenance procedures that users can take to improve the reliability of their rechargeable hearing aids.

Be Careful of Wires: Most hearing aids will contain a wire element of some kind, either on the charging station or on the hearing aids themselves. Being careful of these wires is crucial for hearing aid users; do not pull or hold your device by these wires as this will damage the connections that allow your hearing aid to charge.

Keep Your Hearing Aids Clean and Dry: No matter how often you use or do not use your hearing aids, they have abundant occasion to gather moisture, debris, and dust. Your hearing aid might not fully charge if it is subjected to any of these three things. When connecting your hearing aid to your charging station, as with any other time, it’s crucial to keep your device clean.

Keep Your Hearing Aids on The Charging Station: If you regularly store your rechargeable hearing aids on their recharging station you can increase the life of your battery. The long term battery life is not shortened by charging a battery that is not totally drained.In fact, ensuring that your hearing aids are charging when you’re not using them can actually improve your long-term battery life. A simple reminder, for most people, to charge their device when not in use, is to place the charging station on a table next to their bed.

How to Change a Rechargeable Battery

Lithium-ion batteries should last the lifespan of your device. Consequently, you shouldn’t need to worry about replacing those batteries. Your hearing aids can then be simply charged as long as needed.

However, you will need to periodically change the batteries if you have a hearing aid that utilizes silver-zinc batteries. Switching batteries in the right way can help increase the lifespan of your hearing aids. Because of this, hearing experts suggest the following:

Clean and free of moisture is the state that your battery compartment should be kept in.

Until you’re ready to use the batteries, don’t remove the plastic tabs or packaging.

Before changing batteries, be sure you wash your hands.

Keep batteries in a room temperature spot that is also certain to be dry.

Five minutes before removing any tabs that might be attached let the batteries sit at room temperature.

Non-Use For Long Periods

If you are planning not to use your hearing aids for long periods of time, leaving them on the charger might no longer be the best way to store your devices. If, for example, you know that you will not be using your hearing aids for a few weeks or months, you can just remove the charger and store your hearing aids in a dry and cool spot.

Consider leaving the battery door open so you can stop moisture from corroding the batteries if you use silver-zinc batteries.

Keep it Charged Every Day

For most individuals, and for day to day use, charging your hearing aids once per day should be adequate for all of your needs. To get 24 hours worth of battery life with a lithium-ion battery will usually only require 3-4 hours every day.